Centrifugal cleaner for winnowing and screening grain



Sept. 2, 1947. A. F. PFINGSTEN ET AL 2,426,946

CENTRIFUGAL CLEANER FOR WINNOWING AND SCREENING GRAIN Filed June 5, 1944 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 i s m T.

Sept. 2, 1947- A. F. PFINGSTEN ET AL 2,426,946

CENTRIFUGAL CLEANER FOR WINNOWING AND SCREENING GRAIN Filed June 3; 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS .flqyusf F Pfl'nysfen BY Sa /n J1 5/0135] H TTOR/VEY l 1947- I A. F. PFINGSTEN ET AL 7 2,426,946

CENTRIFUGAL CLEANEN' FOR WINNOWING AND SCREENING GRAIN Filed June 5; 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 V I o 26 25 25 I 22 I F 7 INVENTORS fiugusf E Pfings fen By Sam J5 Slofs/fy F7TTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, i947 I 2,426,946

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic CENTRIFUGAL CLEANER FOR WINN OWIN G AND SCREENING GRAIN August F. Pfingsten, Rock Rapids, and Sam 3.

' Slotsky, Sioux City, Iowa Application June 3, 1944, Serial No. 538,606

6 Claims. (Cl. 209:21)

2 Our invention relates to a grain cleane t Figure 8 is a detailof the small grain receiv- Anobject of our invention is to provide a grain ing openings. 7 cleaning machine, which will efiiciently blow the Our invention contemplates the provision'of a straw, small weed particles, and other lighter grain cleaner wherein a grain such as oats or the portions out of the grain itself, and thence to delike can be shoveled or thrown into the machine posit the cleaned grain at any desired location. from the storage bin, and thence i cleaned and A further object of our invention is to provide separated in the machine from the straw, chair, an arrangement whereby smaller seeds such as and other undesired particles, and thence directly mustard seed, etc., can be separated progressively delivered to the wagon, or similar unit. In other from the principal seeds, and also deposited in 10 wards, instead of processing the grain through a desired locations. cumbersome gravity process requiring along time, A further object of our invention is to provide as well ascumbersome apparat'uapour invention a portable arrangement which can be wheeled to efficiently cleans the grain a fast as it can be any desired location, and so that the grain to be thrown into the machine, and thence carries it cleaned can be thrown into the machine, or cardirectly into the wagon. This eliminates a comried into the same, and thence separated, and plete operational step, thereby requiring less manforcing the clean grain into the necessary receppower, eliminates extra handlin and hauling of tacle, such as a wagon or the like. the grain, and provides many advantages clearly A further object of our invention is ;to provide apparent. a small unit machine which will efiiciently sep- We have used the character H] to designate genarate the chaff, straw, etc., from the grain through erally the base of the device which base can ina combination of strongly impelled wind forces, clude the sloping sides ll, the base preferably combined with centrifugal forces. being round, and attached to the base are the A further object of our invention is to provide brackets [2 which carry the shaft I3 upon which a machine of this character which can be raised are journalleda pair of wheel I4, and attached or lowered to selected positions so as to deliver at H; and 16 are a pair of supports ll which exgrain, or to receive grain accordingly tend downwardly to a level in line with the bot- A further object of our invention is to provide tom of the wheels I4. Also secured to the base all of, the above objects in a unit which can be at [8 are a pair of rods l9 which extend at a driven by means of a small gasoline engine, or slight angle from the vertical and terminate in an electric motor, and which is simple in conthe arcuate handles 20. Attached at 2| to the struction. rods l9 are the bracing rod 22 which are at- With these and other objects in view, our intached to 23 to the base 10. Attached at 24 to vention consists in the construction, arrangement, the base [0 are four equally spaced pipes 25 in and'combination of the various parts of our dewhich are received an equal number of rods 28 vice, whereby the objects contemplated are atwhich rods eiftend to the bottom of the p p s tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointo ws H are threadably a ed with the ed out in our claims, and illustrated in the acpipes and a e aqa 1 lock the P 26 compa'nying drawings, in which; when the upper unit is placed in any desired po- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, be- Smon' The-rods 26 are attached at 28 to a circular f gg 231.: 2 Substantlau? along the hnes base member 29, and attached at 3G to the base Figure 2 is a plan View of the machine with member 29 1s a cyl ndncal sheet metal housing 3|, which includes an integral grain deflecting gerta'mfiortlons thereof bemg taken m fragmen' upper portion 32 which extends substantially half ary sec ions,

way about the unit. I Extending through the base e 3 is a further Plan VIEW of the machme, at 33 is a shaft portion 34 which is attached to Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing the blowa ulley 35 b t, hi s il a, pull cord 36 mg d centrifugally functiflning arrangements, terminating in the pullhandle 31. The shaft por- Fi ur 5 is a detail f ta f t e open ng tion 34 is an integral extension of the slightly F u 615 a vi w of t at fi ati nw e in larger shaft 38 having the shoulder at 39 where an electric motor is used to drive the unit, it rests upon the boss 39a. The haft 38 extends Figure-7 is a side elevation of the unit in its into the crank case'39b which includes a crank fully raised position showing wherein the grain arm which is driven by means of the gasoline en'- is delivered in such position, and 5 gine cylinder 40, the character 4! designating the spark plug of the engine and the character 42 designating the gasoline storage reservoir. The shaft 38 is attached to a pulley 43 over which passes the belt 44 which in turn drives a further pulley 45 which is attached to a stub shaft 46 which shaft 46 is rotatably mounted within a bearing 41 which bearing includes the base 48;

Attached to the-lease 48 is a stud 49 which terminates in the head 50, the stud 49 being adapted for slidable movement within the slot 51 Thread ably engaged at 52 with the boss 53 which is an integral extension of the bearing 41.,is a lengthened rod 54 which passes through the shell or housing 3| at 55 and terminates in the turning handle 56 attached thereto.

Also attached to the shaft 38 is a split ball hearing member 57, the lower portion of which is secured to the shaft, and resting upon the upper portion of the ball bearing member 51 is a hollciw shaft 58 which is adapted to receive the shaft 38 and to revolve at a smaller speed than the ihner shaft. The shaft 38 extends upwardly end is attached at 59 to a blewiii'g feh unit which includes aseries of equally spaeed pitbhed blades 69 arranged radially about the shaft 38; the blades 60 including the sloping edges 6 l Attached at 6?. to the hollow shaft 58 is acircular frame 63 including a series of openings 64; and supported by the frame 53 and attached thereto; is a substantially frusto-coriical member 55 which extends into the integral upwardlii extending conical member 55 which terminates at thetip 51,

The integral members 65 andtB are preferably made of relatively thi'n sheet metal and attached withinthe cone 55 slightly abtivethe top of the blades so is a flat plate as V Attached at 69 to the eerie fii is an annular circular thin plate 10 which is inclined at a slight angle fromhorizontal, being inclined upwardly toward its peripheryg I t Spaced a substantial distance from the edge -1| urine p ate 10 isa rihg shaped plate 12 which is attached to a further an'r iula r rliig [3, the plate 12 pei g substantially vertical; ihcrdss sectioh Attached at 14 to the casin 3I- i's a rinsing comet-1 member 15 which extends downwardly toward the cbne and whieh termiriates in a further increased pitch frustb-b1iic1l pbrtion s which ter rr iih atesat 1 leaving substantial opeliiilg at 18 betweeii the edge TI and the cone 65; l l

Attached at 19m the member 65' is a further frusto-eonical'screen member 89 having a horizontal portidn 8! the inlrlbei' an ihthiziin' a series o emanateinge s2 whieh dpenings are small enough so that the larger desired grain portions such as datsor the like will not pass therethrough, such openihgshaving the slightly extended top portion 83 (see Figure 8) adapted to momentarily retard the small grain portions so that they will pass through these openiiigs; and

yet, will not allow passage (if the desired grain which is tobe depbsited in the wagon boa et'c. Attached at 84 to the member 65 is a further frusto-coni-cal screen 85 having similar openings 82, yet of smaller ize than the upper openings. The member 85' includes the flat portigri at and the portions 81 and seihciude openings 'ofthe same size as their respeetiveadjacent opeiii'ri 82; The member 65extehds irito riiirtion' 8? which extendsinto the-frusto conio'al member 8 which h e'mbersfahowever; (the first i'hii'ideahy o eh iigs t rein;

Attached t the V I 65 are a series of radially positioned imp'elling e re ain; a -her ia 4 paddles 89 which include integral paddles 90, 9i and 92, the paddle portions 89 adapted to rotate within the channel 93, there being provided a filler member at 94 whereby an annular channel will be formed between the member 94 and the outer limits of the member 15. Similarly flat rings 95, 9B and are attaghed to the casing 3| in spaced relation to edrrespdndingly provide channels iri which the respective paddle portions 90, 9| and 92 will travel.

It will be understood that the paddles are inte'gral extensions of complete fiat paddles which extend from the casing to the conical members, such paddles beinggenerally indicated by the ehaiaqteist, there being any desired number of such paddle requisite with the speed and capacity of the machine. The cone 66 includes a series of equally spaced openings 99 which are punched out of the cone itself and which include the substantially horizontal closed tops at I00 and the side as NH (see Figure 5). These openings are positioned iii groups of one Below the other; sueh groupgb'ei'ng arranged radially from the cerit'er of the coire as shown in Figures 2 and 3. I

The casing 3l includes a large opening at 102 which allows manipulation bf the gasoline rega voir sap I03 for filling purposes, and ineludes further openings I04 for allowing uction of air withinthe machine. Attachedat I to the deter shaft 5819) a pulley I36 df relatively la'l'ge diam: eter which is driven by means of a belt IBI which engages a smaller pulley I08 which is attached to the stub shaft 46.

Attached to the easing 3! at )9 is a discharge sp'o'ht or tube Ilil which communicates directly spent 1 ii beihg attached to the channel in which the paddles 9 revolve; and the spout I I2 being connected to the channel in which the paddles 92 revolve. Communicating with the channel 93 is a much larger discharge pipe H3.

The machine operates in the following manner, First; it istr'aiisportd to any desired location by tipping the machine on the wheels I4, and Wheeling it by grasping the handles 20, to

the desired location. This loc'atio'nior instance,

' could be wherein the rain to be eieaned is shovelled from a storage bin directly into a wagon box, such wagon box being indicated by the theraeter Hit in Figure 7. By merely lifting the easirig" 31 upwardly after loosening th lock screws 21-, the unit can be po'sitidned at the desired height and the lock screws retightened, such elevated position being shown in Figure 7; Next the pulley cord 36 is pulled, which starts the gasoline engine 40 which starts the machine in operation.,

-Ne t e ai es i ed .vi h i aisi lengthened rod 54, the threadable engagemeiit thereof withthe b08353 serving to drawfhe en- K tire testing 41 towers the rig'htas viewed 'iii-Fig are 1, thereby tightening both belts t hear up against theirengaging pulleyswhich' then starts the uppersereehs of the machine ihcpe'raiioii. This arrangement thereby provides means for first; starting the engine in motion nathe a gradually engagingthe upper heavier portions aha bringing them into iribtio'n;v

The grain is thei hbyi d ii' bihthet'iheni'i thrown into the to'p of the casing 9|, which grain passes downwardly along the inclined rnem ber 16 and between the cone 68 through the 51 opening 18.- The deflecting shield 32 will deflect any grain which is carelessly thrown and centralizes it toward th center of the casing, it being assumed that the grain will be thrown from a position opposite to the shield.

The grain, together with the straw, chafi and lighter particles then travels down along the cone 66 and on to the plate 16. travel, the blades 69 are rotating at a comparatively high speed, the pitch of the blades being such that they will draw the air through the openings 64 and blow it radially trough the several openings 99. A positive draft of air is thus provided all around the cone which will effectively blow the straw, and other loose and lighter particles upwardly along the plate 19 and in the direction of the arrow H (see Figure 4). This effect, due to the draft created, and centrifugal force caused by the rotating paddles 89, will carry the straw about within the channel 93 and force it out of the spout I I3 where it is blown out into the air.

It should b specifically noted that the straw, chaff and othervparticles being lighter, or having relatively larger exposed areas than the grain particles are positively carried out in this manner since the wind forces are much more effective over greater areas, whereby the combination of the blowing effect, and the centrifugal effect will carry the undesired straw portions out of the gram.

The heavier portions of the grain itself will pass downwardly in the same manner, about and over the openings 99, the formation of the tops of such openings assisting in the separation, the grain then falling to the plate as explained above. The relative ratios between the pulleys I96 and I 08 are such that the hollow shaft 58 which carries the framework 63 will rotate at a considerably reduced speed compared to the cen-- tral shaft 38. As a result all of the rotating screen portions will rotate at a much lower speed than the blades 69. The grain, which is lodged on the plate 10 will be urged toward the rim 1| of the plate through centrifugal action of the whirling plate, and will then drop in the direction of the arrow H6 toward the bottom of the screen. Any grain portions which may have a tendency to fly outwardly a substantial distance beyond the edge ll will strike against the annular plate 12 and will be deflected back into the screen, however, this will not usually occur since the rotation of the plate it! will be at the desired speed to simply spill the grain over the edge 1! or slightly therebeyond.

By this time the grain should be completely free of straw, chaff and the other particles and is then ready for further screening and delivery. Assuming that the grain to be finally delivered to the wagon is oats, such larger oat particles will travel up along the screen 88, and the further such particles travel the greater the centrifugal effect since the higher portions of this screen, due to their radial distances from the center of the screen will travel at a greater linear speed, and correspondingly exerting a greater centrifugal force.

The oats will then be impelled outwardly in a,

positive manner up along the screen 89, and will be further whirled by means of the paddles 90 within the channel in which these paddles rotate, and will thence be ejected through the discharge spout H9 and into the wagon H4. The openings 82 within the screen 80 will not allow passage of the cats itself being of a reduced size,

During this whereby'such cats will, due to the strong centrifugal forces, be carried upwardly as explained. However, smaller seed particles such as mustard seed, or the like, will pass through the openings 1 82, due to the fact that the Openings will pass;

such sizes, and the projecting portions 83 will assist in entrapping the smaller sizes. The smaller seeds then pass through the screens andv downwardly against the next lower screen 85, the mustard seed then being impelled upwardly in the same way, and being carried around by thepaddles 9| and discharged through the spout I where it is ejected to the ground or into any desired receptacle;

In the same manner the next smaller size of seeds will be entrapped through th smaller openings in the screen 85 which smaller size seeds will pass downwardlyinto the solid member 88,

and will thence be centrifugally forced upwardly, and thence around by the paddles 92 and discharged through the further spout H2. The openings in the fiat portions 8| and 86 will permit some of the seeds to pass directly by gravity downwardly to provide separation, or those seeds which might become momentarily retarded.

It should be noted that the respective paddle portions 89, 90, 9| and 92 will positively whirl the grain circularly about the central axis thereby forcing it to fly out by centrifugal action and as explained above.

Also, it should be noted that the plate 19 is of sufficient width in order to give the air blasts caused by the blades BO sufficient time to blow out all of the straw and such material from the grain itself, and yet have restricted width in order that the speed of the centrifugally urged grain will not pass it out into the channel 93, however, since the edge ll is considerably closer to the central axis of themachine, the grain particles will not have as great a velocity at this point than when on the screen itself, and as a result they will not have suflicient force to impel them too far outwardly, but substantially just over the edge H itself.

After use, the machine can be transported to ing substantially the same as described hereinabove.

It will now be seen that we have provided all of the advantages mentioned in the objects; of our invention, with various other advantages; being readily apparent. I

Some changes may be made in the construetion and arrangement of the parts of our inven-- tion without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonablyincluded within their scope.

'We claim as our invention:

1.- A centrifugal grain cleaner comprising a casing, a revolving vertically positioned substantially conical member mounted in said casing, said member having a plurality of openings, a blower member positioned within said member adapted,

to impel air outwardly through said openinga'to impel straw particles radially away from said '1 member, anannular plateattached tiisaid menibar for receivingstraw and' 'grain particles thereon, said plate having a peripheral edge whereby heavier grainparticleswill spill thereover, an annularl straw receiving channel attached withinsaid casing, radially positioned paddles travelling in saidchannel, saidblower member including a plurality of pitched blades, a shat-t attached theretofor rotating said blades, means-for rotating said rnember and said" paddles-at a-lower speed than said blades,

2; A centrifugal grain cleaner comprising a casing, a revolving vertically positioned substantially conical member mounted in saidcasi'ng, said member having a plurality of openings, a blower member positioned within said member adapted to impel airoutwardly through said openings, to impel straw particles radially away from-said member, an annular plate-attachedto said member for receiving'straw andgrain particles thereon, said plate having a peripheral edge wherebyheav-ier grain particles will spill'thereover; an annular straw receiving channel attached within said casing, radially positioned paddles travelling in' said channel, said blower member including a plurality of pitchedbl'ades, a shaft attached thereto for rotating said blades,

means for rotating said member and-said-paddles' at a lower speed than said blades; including a central shaft attached to said blades, a hollow shaft receiving said central shaft, saidpaddles and said member being attached-to said hollow shaft, pulleys having reducing ratios attached between said hollow and said-central shaft for reducing the'speed of said hollow shaft.

3. A centrifugal grain cleaner comprising a casing, a revolving vertically positioned substantially conical member mounted in said casing,

said member having a plurality of openings, a, blower member positioned Within said member adapted to impel air outwardly through said openings, to impel straw particles radially away' from said member; an annular plate attached to said member for receiving straw and grain par-- ticles thereon, said plate having a peripheraled'ge whereby heavier" grain particles will spillthere over, an annular straw receiving channel at= tached within said casing; radiallypositioned paddles travelling in" said channel; said blower" member including a plurality of pitched blades, a shaft attached theretofor rotatingsaidblades, means for rotating said member'andsaidpaddles at a lower speed than saidjblades; including a central shaftattached to said blades; a; hollow shaft receiving saidcentral shaft; said'paddles' and said member being attached to said hollow shaft, pulleys having reducing ratios attached between said hollow andsaidcentral shaft" for reducing the speed of said hollow" shaft, annular screens attached to said hollow shaft, sai'd' armolar screens including frusto coni'cal members. having screen openings; paddl'es attaclied:tosaid frusto-conical members, saidpaddles-being radially arranged, channels attachedto the casingin which said paddles travel; discharge spouts communicating with said channels for delivering, grain particles impelled outwardly 'andupwardly along said frusto-conicalmembers.

4. A centrifugal grain cleaner comprising a casing, a revolving vertically positioned substantially conical member mounted in said casing, saidmember having a plurality of openings, a blower member positioned-within said member adapted toimpel air outwardly through said-openings; to

impel strawparticles radially away from said heavier grain particles will spill thereover, an

annular straw receiving channel attach'edwithin saith casing, radially positioned paddles travelling insaidchannel, sa-id' blower member including a plurality of pitched blades, a shaft attached theret'ofor rotating said blades, means for rotatingsaid member and said-paddles at a lower speed than saidblades, including a central shaft attached-tosaid blades; a hollow shaft receiving saidcentral shaft, said-paddles and saidmember being attached-to said hollow shaft, pulleys having'reducing ratios attached between said hollow and said central shaft for reducing thespeed' of said hollow shaft, annular screens attached to said hollow-shaft, saidannular screens including frust'o-conical members having screening openings'; paddles attached to said frusto conical members saidpaddles being radially arranged,

channels attached to the casing in which said paddles travel", discharge spouts communicating With-saidc-hannels'for deiivering grain particles impelled outwardly and upwardly along each of said lower frusto-conical members,- said frustoconical members having progressively smaller screening openings than the one above it, for passir'rg progressively smaller grain particle's therethrough.

5. A centrifugal grain cleaner comprising a casing, a revolving vertically positioned substantially conical member mounted in said casing, said member having a plurality of openings, a

blower member positioned within said member adapted-- to impel air outwardly through said openings, to impel straw particles radially away from said member, an'annularplate attached to said memb'er for receiving straw and grain'particl'es thereon, said plate havin a peripheraled'ge whereby heavier grain particles will spill thereover; an annular straw receiving channel attached within said casing, radially positioned paddles travelling insaid channel, said blower member including a'plurality of pitchedblades,

at shaft attachedthereto for rotating saidblades,

means-forrotating' said member andsaid paddles at alower'speed' thansai'd b'lades, including a centralsliaft' attached to" said blades, a'holl'ow shaft receiving-said central shaft, said paddles and saidmember being attachedto said hollow shaft; pulleys having reducing ratios attached between said-hollowand said centralshaft for reducing the speed of said hollow shaft, annular screens attached to said hollow shaft; said annular screens including. frusto conical membershavi n-g" screening openings; paddles attached to said frusto-coni-cal members, said paddles being. radially arranged, channelsatta'ched tothe casing inwhich said paddles travel, dischargespouts com-municatingwith said channels for delivering grainparticles impelled outwardly and upwardly alien-g said frusto-conical members, each of said lower frust'o-conical members havin progressi vely smaller screening openings than the one above it, for passing progressively smaller grain particles therethrough, means for adjustably securing said casing at difierent heights,

61- Acentrifugal grain cleaner'comprisinga casmember havinga plurality of. openings, a blower member positionedwithin said-member adapted to impellair outwardly throughssaid openings, 75

to impel straw particles radially away from said aaaaeee 9 member, an annular plate attached to said member for receiving straw and grain particles thereon, said plate having a peripheral edge whereby heavier grain particles will spill thereover, an annular straw receiving channel attached within said casing, radially positioned paddles travelling in said channel, said blower member including a plurality of pitched blades, a shaft attached thereto for rotating said blades, means for rotating said member and said paddles at a lower speed than said blades, including a central shaft attached to said blades, a hollow shaft receiving said central shaft, said paddles and said member being attached to said hollow shaft, pulleys having reducing ratios attached between said hollow and said central shaft for reducing the speed of said hollow shaft, annular screens attached to said hollow shaft, said annular screens including frusto-conical members'havin screening openings, paddles attached to said frusto-conical members, said paddles being radially arranged, channels attached to the casing in which said paddles travel, discharge spouts communicating with said channels for delivering grain particles impelled outwardly and upwardly along said frusto-conical members, each of said lower frusto-conical members having progressively smaller screening openings than the one above it, for passing progressively smaller grain particles therethrough, means for adjustably securing said casing at different heights, a base supporting said casing, wheels secured to said base, handles attached to the base whereby said centrifugal grain cleaner can be transported to desired locations.

AUGUST F. PFINGSTEN.

SAM J. SLOTSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

